


By the Temple Ruins

by purglepurglepurgle



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Conversation, Gen, Night, Quiet, Temple of the Ancients, Trees, smoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 02:54:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20418725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purglepurglepurgle/pseuds/purglepurglepurgle
Summary: The Temple of the Ancients has fallen, leaving a hollow in the earth. Cid sits outside, in the night, with a cigarette.Fits with the cactusverse fics (Cactus, Buddleja), though stands alone. Set a few hours after the temple falls. Mood piece.





	By the Temple Ruins

**Author's Note:**

> Vibe: https://data.ukiyo-e.org/mfa/images/sc205894.jpg ('Spring Night at Inokashira' by Kawase Hasui)

Cid was sitting on a rock in the dark, smoking, in the shadow of a copse of trees. Moonlight dripped down the trunks like strange, pale ink; the sight reminded him of the old woodblock prints he'd once seen in Wutai. Shades of blue and black. Behind them lay the crater, where the Temple of the Ancients had stood. He could hear distant waves, lapping the island shore.

He took a drag. It had been a long, weird day. Cloud attacking Aeris like that, at the end... Well, they'd been able to subdue him. But, shit. Cid had a bad feeling.

He heard footsteps behind him, cracking twigs. He turned to the trees, cigarette glowing red between his teeth, hand reaching for his lance.

"Hello?" said a quiet voice, shaky.

Cid relaxed. "Hey, Aeris."

"Oh," she said. He could see her, now, standing close to a tree-- behind it, slightly. Her face was white in the dark. "Hello, Cid. I should have known it was you." She didn't give her usual smile. She looked like she'd been crying.

"You okay?" he said. Poor kid. 'Course she was shaken, after something like that. He was pissed at Cloud, even if it wasn't his fault he had a screw loose.

"Yes, I just..." Aeris took a tentative step toward him. "Um, if you don't mind... could I have a cigarette?"

Cid narrowed his eyes. "You smoke?"

Aeris shook her head. "No, I just..." She looked back toward the trees. "It's silly. I just smelled the smoke, and I thought..."

"I ain't one to tell other folk what to do," said Cid, making no move to open his pack. "But for what it's worth, you want my advice? You ain't started, don't."

Aeris gave him a tight smile. "If you say so." She came over, and sat down beside him, on the rock. "If you want to be alone, I'll go. I just can't sleep."

Cid shrugged. "Plenty of room. And, yeah." He gave a low whistle. "It's been a day."

Aeris looked off into the trees again. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Sure," said Cid, more confidently than he felt. He was sure Cloud would recover from the physical injuries they'd given him, but as for his mind... "He's a tough kid. Lotta practice fightin', right? Had his share of scrapes. He'll be fine."

Aeris sat still for a minute or so. There was a cool breeze. The grass looked blue in the night. Cid could hear the wind in the leaves, and the quieter background static of crickets. And the waves.

"He'd cry laughing," said Aeris, at last. "He's just one of those people, you know? Like a wall, you can throw anything at it." She gripped her right elbow with her left hand. "I know it's stupid. I didn't think I'd get so wound up."

Cid frowned. "I ain't followin'. What's he laughin' at you for?"

"Everything," said Aeris. "He never stops. That's why-- he's awful-- but, he's permanent, you know?" She started making a braid, distracted. "And... I'm an idiot. It's all mixed up." She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I don't want to dump this on you."

"S'fine by me," said Cid. "Though to tell you the truth, I got no idea what you're talkin' about."

Aeris gave a weak smile. "That's probably for the best." She sat in silence for a moment. The moon gleamed off the materia, twisted in her hair. "It's just... it was so horrible. I know I'm not like the other people here. Everyone's been in fights and seen wars and things and then I'm just tagging along; I feel like a child... but..." She swallowed. "I think I saw an intestine. There was so much blood. He always said people bled a lot, but... I didn't think it was like that. And then, it's not just the blood, it's _him_, you know?"

"Ahhh." It clicked. "We talkin' 'bout the Turk?"

"Don't tell Cloud," said Aeris.

"What's there to tell?" said Cid.

Aeris was silent.

"Oh," said Cid. "I get it."

"I really don't," said Aeris, and she put her head in her hands.


End file.
